Oladapo Akinmoladun

Oladapo Akinmoladun

UNL Pre-Health Student Accepted to UNMC through Early Decision Programs

With Nigerian origins, 6 siblings, and a brother who was diagnosed with sickle cell disease, Oladapo’s circumstances exposed him to medicine at a very young age, in a very personal way. He grew up watching his family’s interaction with doctors and decided medicine was his path after going to a camp in high school that his chemistry professor encouraged him to attend.

In his words, “doctors can change people’s stories,” and that’s exactly what Oladapo has set out to do. Oladapo began planning to attend medical school early on, putting in the time and energy to become a competitive applicant. He knew it would take hard work to earn his spot at his top choice, the University of Nebraska Medical School (UNMC).

Oladapo met with Explore Center pre-health advisors several times throughout his time at Nebraska to determine which courses to take, explore volunteer and shadowing opportunities, and to gain reassurance from advisor Jaci Gustafson when he felt disheartened or nervous during the application process. "I always knew I had someone in my corner," Oladapo said.

And when the interview day with UNMC came he felt prepared and confident. Upon hearing about his acceptance to UNMC through Early Decision Programs (EDP), Oladapo didn’t hesitate to celebrate by running down 16th Street cheering about the news he just received. “It still feels like a dream,” Oladapo said, “It won’t feel real until I step foot on campus.”

He looks forward to applying the knowledge he has learned in the classroom to the field when he starts medical school this fall in 2017, and hopes to build healthier communities by pursuing a career in family medicine.

Oladapo encourages anybody pursuing medical school to, “Know that there will be ups and downs, but stick with it and work hard to earn your spot.”